Counterpoise for doors



- Sept. 29; 19.25. I 1,555,044

` A. w. WALKER COUNTERPOISE FOR DOORS Filed Septf. 4, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet l 4- A I Wa griff y we# HGM" .(fi' TMW/"- sept. 29, 1925.

A. w. WALKER coUNTERPoIsE AFoln'oons Filed Sep. 4, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 V Wr-Ways Patented Sept. Z9, 1&25.

UNITED STATES ARTHUR W. WALKER, or ivmztnniv,y iviAssnciusnrfrs.-

counfrnnrorsn FOR noons.

Application filed September 45, 1924. Serial No. 735,974.

To all whom t 'may concern.'

Be it known that I, ARTHUR W. VVALnnn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Malden, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Counterpoise for Doors, of which the following is a specification. Y

y This invention relates to an improved counterpoise for doors. It is particularly adapted for drop doors of ranges and other stoves, that` swing down about a horizontal axis at the bottom edge of the door, for if such a door slips from the grasp of a person, its fall is annoying, and dangerous, and may result in breakage of the door or rupture of the stove frame. It is adaptable to other doors, however, including those swinging on vertical axes; and may be used as a spring to close a door.

Various expedients havetbeen proposed to provide a sort of Vdrag upon a drop door but the frictional clamps proposed cause such excessive wear that the journals become loose; and in the case of springs coiled on the hinges, the heat either destroys their resiliency or renders them brittle, and in either case, for renewal, there is considerable delay in getting the special shapes necessary.

It is among the objects of the present invention to provide a counterpoise in the form of a simple and inexpensive, stout flat spring. This is arranged both to impose a frictional dragupon the journals if such be desired, and to offer resilient resistance to their turning; and to do this without the stated objections. Another feature of the invention is the provision of means for changing theeffective force of the spring so that the resistance offered may be varied as desired. Another feature resides in the shaping of that portion of the journal against which the spring presses, so that as long as the door is closed no tension or strain is imposed upon the spring, but upon the door being opened substantially the full force of the spring is immediately rendered effective.

It is intended that the patent shall cover, by suitable expression in the appended claims, whatever features of patentable novelty exist in the invention disclosed.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of an oven door construction embodying the present invention;

Figure 2 is a similar elevation of a portion of the same, with the bearing plate removed; f f

Figure 3 is a plan in section on line 3 3 of Figure 1, but with the door open; V

Figurev 4 is a View like Figure 3', withthe door closed,`and

Figures 5 and 6 are side elevations insection on line 5-5 of Figure 1, with the door closed and opened respectively.`

Referring to the drawings, 10 is the front portion of the casing enclosing the. space to be rendered accessible through `a door 12. The latter is preferably hinged at the bottom of the opening as shown, because for structural reasons it is easier to make the cross part 10 of theframestrong, with reduced danger of breakage of theframe; and because by placing the journals below, the straight vertical lines at the sides are left unbroken, thus attaining a desiredrappearance of the front.` To the` cross member' 10 of the door frame is fastened'abearing plate la extending horizontally along it and having hollow protuberances 16 at its ends, whose hollows open toward the frame 10 and, in conjunction with the latter, form journal-bearings for the pivots orjournals 18 of the door. Such journals are ordinarily made entirely round, but a` feature of this invention is to make a portion 2O of each approximately semi-cylindrical and with its flat face 22 toward the door frame when the door is closed. 1As illustrated the chord 22 cuts oft about a third of thecylinder, and the remainder 2O .has a little peripheral protuberance 2l beyond the circular unit, at the end of the chord. This portion will hereinafter be termed the cam portion of the journal. The remaining full round part of the journal is ample as a pivot to insure the proper swinging of the door. The smaller the section cut off by the chord, the more will the effect of therspring be merely to produce frictional pressure of the bearing surfaces, whilethe greater the angular length of the chord, or the more the toe 21 projects, the more will the resilient resistance characteristic predominate with spring returning tendency.

The type of journal illustrated is perhaps the most simple form in which the invention is applied, but variations, such as providing a roller eccentrically mounted on the journal, could be readily devised which would still l0@ Vwithin the scope of the invention.

-' springend rests `against'the latfsurface of the camsa-nd so'that whenthe door 1is open, asinFiguresxx'and', 'the spring rides` on the curved surface. It will be observed that the spring shasv a ipl-anefface 4against -which presses a part ,onf-the, door which has a cylindrical path, whenthe doorifmoves, through :which-path the saidsplane cutsas a chord of .the-cylinder.

Thef-.leadingwedge Y in ,theV turning `fpart slides'a'longvaoross thisplane ace, gradually 4pushing -itbaclf as this edgeprogresses along :its cylindrical; path.

About midway-between .each-y spring 4end and `fits-middle there ris vprovided on the door `frame -aaprojection :'26 which constitutes a fu-lcrum about. which 'thev spring may be bent. 'l An :ordinary 'bolt' 28 `passes through `the `middle ,of the'fbearing plate, threads into a `nut SO'iinside held 'non-.rotatable in a sockfet .132 on thefplate,.1and presses against the spring. iThis bolt enables `the .effective force iof the-'spring tofbe xvariedfor if the bolt is iturnedinwardthe portionof the springbe- :tweenthe ruler-.um is bowed more toward the `door 4trame .thereby .ca-,using the end por- Vtionswofffthe: spring lfbeyondf the ruler-ums to :press hardergag-ainstthe Acam portion of the door journals'.

Upon-opening '/:the door, .each journal turns 'labout its? true :aXisfibecause its -full round :portion tit's'between the Abearings lof fthev plateand frame. V'Immediately the turning :begins,.t he part `22 of the cam portion tha't has-:beenile'ft full'afnd: especially its toe 'Q'l'yiffth'atbe.present as illustrated, 4begins -toplressi the' spring endv inward 'toward -the frame; y Theispring-'yielda'resisting withincreasingforce as A `its deflection :becomes greater? Theeftect of this is two-fold. The

` ftor'cefofithespringfopposes the movementof the journal, Aand vthe pressure exerted by the 'journaltolfdo'fthis causes the 'latter to -rub harder against its' 'bear-ing, thus .imposing a -i-rlictiona'ldrag o'n the journal. There f is also' the --f'rictionaL drag lto l`.the spring .on fthe cam portion as thefform'errslides-along the latter. i 'fAll `rthese -coact to brake thedoors mo'vement; 1and 'may be 'so regulated by the j "se'ttin'g'of theboltagainst the spring, that a 'perfect j counter-poise isf-effected.

Obviously journals ofIEthe door; 'might eX- tendoutward away v:from each other .instead of inward toward the other and the spring might be otherwise arranged with respect to the journals, and might be of more than one piece, but the construction shown is convenient and simple. Although breakage of the spring is not to be expected, it' it should give way it could be readily replaced by any householder Orordinary mechanic, since it consists merely of a piece of flat-bar stock. Then compared to the spiral springs heretofore used, which must `be carefully-made 'to size .and strength,l the spring of fthe `invention is tarcheaper both as to lirst cost and as to maintenance. Moreover the 'whole construction oif spring, .journals and bearing pla-te` is more easily made and assembled, and withal is much stronger than anyother type of c ounterpoisednown to me.

'Vhen fthe invention is applied to lrange doors 'of either .the coal, electric or gas type, it is well to perforatetheit'ace strip ,of the bearing plate as at 34e-for suchjholes .permit ventilation through thel space in whichzfthe spring is placed, as an laid in keeping down .its temperature. Howeventhe .spring is not of that type which iseasily ali'ectedby heat; iny Jfact it is .well adapted for use on-so called flush front ranges or stoves, when it is set in beyond the surraceto secure ya smooth iiush front.

. Ifclaim as my invention:

l. A counterpoise for.. a .door having partly circular pivots atan edge of the door and turning with it, arranged parallel ,to saidl edge and toward each 4other comprising wa spring .extending between thesaid journals yieldingly engaging .them to impede theirturning,and means to hold said Vspring in journal engaging position.

- ,2. A .counterpoise for a. door vcomprising the combination, with the pin and socket elements of a1-pair of-pivoted bearings therefor at opposite ends of 'the door, of a spring eX- tending between the bearings, and yieldingly pressing the elements of each'bearing together; two fulcrums for the spring between the.bearings 5. and. means positively to deflect .the spring between the fulcrums therebyto cause pressure by it at rsaid bearings.

. 3. A counterpoiseffor a door comprising the combination, with the `pin and socket elements of a bearing therefor, of a bar spring yieldingly pressing the elements of the bearconstituting a fulcrum upon which the spring may be bent to vary its efec'tive pressure at the journals.

5. A door and frame therefor, a bearing plate mounted on said fra-me along an edge of the door with a space between it and the frame, having bearings at its ends for the door journals; a spring arrange-d in said space, yieldingly engaging the door at the 10 journals to oppose its turning; a projection from said frame into said space constituting a fulcrurn for the spring; comprising a screw extending through the plate and threading into a nut non-rotatably held by lugs on the plate, for bending the spring upon the fulcrum to vary its effective pressure at the journal.

Signed at Boston, Massachusetts, this third day of September, 1924.

ARTHUR W. WALKER. 

